On Monday Fred Camillo, who was sworn in on December 2 as Greenwich’s newly elected Republican First Selectman, announced in a ‘modified news flash’ that he had designated December 16th “Anthony ‘Tony’ Turner Day” in honor of the Board of Estimate and Taxation member.
The proclamation noted that BET members spend countless volunteer hours on the administration of the financial affairs of the Town including issuance of the annual recommended budget and setting the Town tax mill rate. The Board also acts on requests for additional appropriations, transfers and allotments made during the fiscal year.
The Town’s Annual Report, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Component Unit Financial Report for the Retirement System of the Town of Greenwich also fall under the Board of Estimate and Taxation.
Turner, who has been a Greenwich resident for nearly 30 years, lives with his wife and two children who attend the Greenwich Public Schools. He was the founder and owner of Financial Tracking, a regulatory software company based in Riverside.
The proclamation said that in January 2017, Turner was unanimously appointed to fill a vacancy on the board and, as a result of his appointment, resigned from the Greenwich RTM after three years of service. He has also served as a member of the New Lebanon Building Committee and the RTM Health and Human Services committee.
The proclamation goes on to note that in addition to completing three years of service on the BET, Turner is a Cub Scout leader and past ruling elder at First Presbyterian Church.
Turner was also previously chair of the Democratic Town Committee.
In his final days as First Selectman Republican Peter Tesei issued a proclamation declaring Nov 18 Jill Oberlander Day, acknowledging her countless hours and noting that with her Nov 5 election to the Board of Selectmen, Oberlander was leaving the BET.
Turner and Oberlander have been at odds over their roles in their campaigns for BET back in 2017 when Democrats were top vote getters and wrested control of the board from Republicans for the first time in recorded history.
Oberlander was the top vote getter in 2017 and was voted in as Chair.
This summer, in separate rulings, the SEEC determined that Turner and five other Democrats had violated campaign rules. Turner was fined $52,000 in August and, in September Oberlander, as well as four other Democratic candidates from 2017 were each fined $1,000 for “unintentional violations.”
Six weeks before the Nov 5 municipal election, during a highly contentious meeting, Mr. Turner joined Republicans in a 7-5 vote to form a committee to investigate the actions of the other five Democratic members including Ms. Oberlander, then a candidate for First Selectman, running against Mr. Camillo.
The vote was 7-5, with Turner joining all six of BET Republicans.
On Nov 5, Mr. Camillo defeated Ms. Oberlander in the race for First Selectman.
Republicans were the top vote getters and regained control of the BET.
Ms. Oberlander did earn a spot on the Board of Selectmen and was sworn in as Selectperson on Dec 1.